A continuous flow pressurized cooker/blancher cooks a food product by
continuously transporting the product on a conveyor system and by forcing
steam through or over the surface of the food product. The food product
to be cooked may be, but is not limited to, seafood and preferably
crustaceans. The cooker/blancher includes an exterior pressurized
housing, an infeed weigh hopper, an infeed and an outfeed transfer
device, and an internal conveyor system. Each transfer device comprises
an internal and an external transfer chamber. A pressure assembly forces
steam into the exterior pressurized housing while the transfer device is
adapted to maintain a selected pressurized environment.